New Canyon Ultimate: ‘a classic race bike’

The fifth iteration of Canyon’s lightweight bike is aimed at pros, club riders and everyone in between

- Simon Smythe

Canyon has officially launched the latest version of its Ultimate model, first spotted at the Critérium du Dauphiné and raced throughout the Tour de France by selected Movistar riders.

It wasn’t easily identifiable as a brand new bike, and that’s because the fifth generation of the German brand’s lightweight climbing bike is an evolution rather than a ground-up redesign.

However, what to the naked eye may look like minor refinements have yielded some major improvements, according to Canyon. It lists the key areas where the new Ultimate improves over its predecessor as: 

Better comfort via improved ergonomics and more tyre clearance – room for up to 32mm rubber.

Reduced drag thanks to optimisations made with aero experts Swiss Side – saving up to a claimed 10 watts for the frameset alone.

Invisible integration of cables and lines, all in a “user-friendly” set-up (except for the Ultimate CF SL 7 and 8). 

Easy fitting: cockpit with simple height and width adjustment, no steerer tube cutting needed, easier to transport (again with the exception of the lower-end models).

Low weight: a claimed 6.3 kg (Ultimate CFR Di2: excluding pedals and accessories, size M), even with extra reinforcement in key high-stress areas).